Archive for the ‘BACON & SCOTCH EVENTS’ Category

HormelÂ® Black LabelÂ® has been in a state of bacon mania for over 100 years, and this year, itâ€™s bringing back the Bacon Takedown Series to Minneapolis to inspire local chefs to compete for bacon glory and display their love for the delectable dish. Recognizing that consumers are using bacon in more and different ways than ever before, HormelÂ® Black LabelÂ® will takes its innovative flavor profiles and smoke combinations and arm amateur chef competitors with 15 pounds of its bacon. Competitors will go belly to belly to show-off their cooking talents and demonstrate what Black Label knows best: theyâ€™re serious about bacon.

Tasters will Experience

Fun in the photobooth with bacon moustaches, pig snouts and the opportunity to turn into a life-sized bacon strip, all made sharable on Facebook!

Prizes for contestants and randomly selected audience members include cooking-related items and of course, Black Label bacon.

The event is all-ages and family friendly.

Matt Timms, producer and food competition extraordinaire, will lead the bacon charge for the fourth annual Bacon Takedown series. This is the Takedownâ€™s first trip back to Minneapolis since the inaugural 2010 Series. Top rated bacon dishes from Minnesotans in the last go-round included:

If you’re interesting in competing, email: chilitakedown@gmail.com for more information. You’ll be provided with 15lbs of sponsor Hormel Black Label Bacon as a base for your baconÂ recipeÂ You could win a yearâ€™s supply of bacon! Cookware from Analon, Wusthof and Microplane! And more!!!!

Kristen Olson – Winner of the 2010 – Twin Cities Bacon Takedown

Minneapolis Guest & Matt Timms- July2010 – Hormel Foods

More information about the Take Down:

The Takedown blasted into existence in the winter of 2003 â€“ in a little hovel somewhere in Brooklyn NYC. Everyone loves us, so the Takedown has quickly grown into an adult-sized event. The press is insane, and in itâ€™s wake, other cooking events across the country were more recently spawned, but the Takedown will always be the first and awesomest! Self-taught cooks bring in their brilliant creations and compete for money, prizes, and self respect. The TD is NATIONWIDE now- and happening in a city near you! Austin, Houston, Chicago, New Orleans, Nashville, Boston, St. Paul, Seattle, San Franciscoâ€¦ and MORE!!! But thatâ€™s not all! Takedowns are nutzos, and not necessarily chili: Bacon, Fondue, Salsa, Lamb, Curry and even Cookie Takedowns!!!! Oo! And we have several really bad ideas coming up- also not chili related. Actor/filmmaker Matt Timms produces the events and MCs the night. God heâ€™s beautiful.

The Bacon Takedown Series sponsored by HormelÂ® Black LabelÂ® bacon is kicking off its third annual tour around the country to find the most delicious and unconventional bacon recipes.

Minneapolis Guest & Matt Timms- July2010 - Hormel Foods

Hosted by Matt Timms (thetakedowns.com), the event is hitting six cities this year:

Austin, TXâ€”March 11th

Denver, COâ€”April 22nd

Boston, MAâ€”June 24th

San Francisco, CAâ€”July 15th

Chicago, ILâ€”September 16th

Brooklyn, NY â€“October 14th

Each event features 20 local amateur chefs who accept the challenge of cooking recipes with bacon for 200-300 people who then taste and vote on their favorite. Die-hard bacon-clad fans including those dressed as walking strips of bacon, donning bacon beards, and others with curly-q tails pined to their behinds can be seen at the events, and teams of participants have also been known to create theme tables and dress up for the partâ€”past tables have had Girl Scouts and Kentucky Derby themes, to name a few.

The participating cooks receive 15 pounds of HormelÂ® Black LabelÂ® bacon to create their bacon dish â€”in the past entries have included new takes on classic favorites and wonderfully bizarre concoctions, including:

Then itâ€™s up to the judges and the crowd to pick their favorites! The winner receives a one-year supply of HormelÂ® Black LabelÂ® bacon and other cooking related-items. A random audience member and taster at each event will also be selected to receive a one-year supply of HormelÂ® Black LabelÂ® bacon.

Many of the Bacon Takedown events sell out in advance with bacon fans eager to taste creations from their hometown cooks. Tickets to the events in each city are very low-priced (between $10- $15) so make sure to get tickets early! Anyone can sign-up to be a contestant, so watch out for the â€ścall for contestantsâ€ť on www.thetakedowns.com to enter as a cheftestant!

Fans should visit www.facebook.com/HormelBacon to stay up to date on events and get in on the bacon goodness. The page will feature the best recipes and photos from each of the events and original bacon filmsâ€”think bacon as the subject of dramas, comedies and film noire! A polling application is also available for fans to share all of the ways that they enjoy bacon.

International Bacon DayÂ orÂ Bacon DayÂ is an unofficial observance, often celebrated on the Saturday beforeÂ USÂ Labor DayÂ (the first Monday of September). Some cultures, however, celebrate on 19th of February, while others celebrate the day on the first Saturday in January after the new year.

Bacon day celebrations typically include social gatherings during which participants create and consume dishes containing bacon, including bacon-themed breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, and drinks. Bacon Day gatherings may also include the consumption ofÂ soy baconÂ orÂ turkey bacon.

Bacon Day was conceived in 2004 by a group ofÂ CU BoulderÂ (Colorado) graduate students. Bacon Day in Manchester UK is celebrated by several students on the 14th January, prior to January examinations as a distraction from revision. Bucknell students are also known for their bacon day celebrations, calling themselves “Meatheads”, and gorging on as much bacon as possible.

Summary: Winner of the 2011 Bacon Takedown Best Sweet at SXSW in Austin, TX. These candies start with a layer of graham cracker caramel, topped with bacon marshmallows, dipped in dark chocolate, and finished with a sprinkling of bacon powder.